THE biggest lottery grant Test Valley has ever seen has just been confirmed - allowing work to start on an ambitious £840,000 youth complex at West Portway, Andover.

Borough council leisure chiefs are celebrating the successful £402,000 lottery bid from Sport England towards the long-awaited centre, which will include floodlit all-weather sports pitches, a sports hall and chill-out area.

Work is expected to start on the Portway Youth Centre towards the end of this year with the aim of opening sometime next September.

As well as three outdoor courts for sports including tennis, netball, basketball and five-a-side football and a multi-purpose sports hall, a conservatory area will provide a focal point for young people.

It will act as a social area, also housing a caf, internet facilities, homework clubs, music facilities, various groups and advice and support services.

The venue will be the first in Andover to cater specifically for table tennis, and martial arts such as judo and taekwondo will also be housed inside the sports hall.

For the full story see Friday's Andover Advertiser.